Church Monuments Society News
 
Claude Blair CVO OBE MA LittD  FSA 1922-2010

 It is with great regret that we report the death on 21 February of our senior Vice President, Claude Blair, at the age of 87 in Epsom Hospital after a short illness. Academically he was a giant, making major contributions to our knowledge of armour, military monuments and metalwork generally. He, together with the late Nick Norman and a small group of others, were directly responsible for the establishment of the CMS and he was our President from 1979-1984. His passing will be a huge loss to the Society and to scholarship generally. A full appreciation will appear in Vol. 25 of Church Monuments.

The funeral of Claude Blair will be held on Thursday 11 March, at 2 pm, in the church of St Sepulchre Newgate in the City of London. Light refreshments will be provided afterwards in Cutlers' Hall, which is near at hand in Warwick Lane. No flowers please.


The Claude Blair Memorial Conservation Fund


John Blair has requested that donations in memory of his father be given to The Church Monuments Society (Registered Charity No: 279597), not to benefit its members, but to
form a fund for the conservation of a monument with an armoured effigy, a cause dear to Claude. As there will be no monument to Claude himself, it is planned to affix a plaque near the monument recording that it was conserved in Claude’s memory. John will be closely involved in choosing the conservation project that will benefit from this fund. The CMS is in the process of setting up a separate account where the money will be held.
Claude discussing one of the armed effigies at the Aldworth Study Day in 2007

 To make a donation please send a cheque to:

Mr Michael Thompson,
Hon Treasurer
CMS,
Hill Top Farm,
Lenton,
Grantham, Lincs. NG33 4HB.

e-mail: mjrthompson@googlemail.com              Phone: 01476 585012.

 If you are a UK taxpayer, it would significantly increase the value of the donation if you would kindly fill in a Gift Aid form and send it with your cheque. Click here for the Gift Aid form.

Non-UK residents can send either a sterling cheque, or pay via Paypal, as follows:

1. Log onto http://www/paypal.co.uk (or the equivalent country from which you are paying) and set up your own PayPal account if you have not already done so.

2. Click on tab ‘Send Funds’.

3.  In the ‘to’ box for recipient type ‘mthompson@richardsonsurveyors.co.uk’. 

4. In the ‘Amount’ box type ‘xx GDP’ to give the amount of your donation.

5. In the ‘Purchase’ box click on ‘Services’ and click on ‘Continue’.

6. At the bottom of the next page in the message box type ‘For the Claude Blair Memorial Conservation Fund’ and click on ‘Send money’.

7.  You will get a confirmatory e-mail as proof of your payment.

____________________________________________________________________

February 24th 2010 Shire have now republished Professor Brian Kemp's book on church monuments - but this time in colour. As we might expect both from the author and the publisher this is an excellent book and together with Sally Badham's companion volume on brasses makes an excellent and remarkably inexpensive introduction to the whole subject.
   
The minutes of the CMS 2009 AGM are now on line; please click here. The yearly accounts will appear shortly
 


Church Monuments Society Diary

This is the Church Monuments Society Diary. Please note that this is provisional and for guidance only and that some events may change in the future

Organization

Name of event

Location of event

Event organizer

Date

Date1

Church Monuments Society

Council Meeting

London, Senate House

 

2010/03/13

13th March 2010

Church Monuments Society

Council Meeting

London, Senate House

 

2010/05/22

22nd May 2010

Church Monuments Society

Much Marcle Study day

Much Marcle Herefordshire

Mark Downing

2010/06/12

12th June 2010

Church Monuments Society

Hertfordshire Excursion

Hertfordshire

Jane Kelsall

2010/06/26

26th June 2010

Church Monuments Society

South Yorkshire Excursion

 

Peter Hacker & Patrick Farman

2010/07/31

31st July 2010

Church Monuments Sociey

AGM

London Charter House Chapel

Simon Watney

2010/09/4

4th September 2010

Church Monuments Sociey

Winchester Symposium

Winchester

Brian & Moira Gittos

2010/09/10-12

10th-12th September 2010

Church Monuments Society

Cambridgeshire Excursion

Cambridgeshire

Julian Litten

2010/10/9

9th October 2010

Church Monuments Society

Council Meeting

London, Senate House

 

2010/11/27

27th November 2010

Church Monuments Society

Victorian Monuments Day Conference

London

Jane Kelsall

2011/03/?

March 2011

Church Monuments Society

West Oxfordshire Excursion

Oxfordshire

Sally Badham

2011/04 or 05/

April or May 2011

Church Monuments Society

Lydiard Tregoze Study day

Lydiard Tregoze

Mark Downing

2011/06/11

11th June 2011

Church Monuments Society

AGM

Kensall Green cemetery

Julian Litten

2011/09/?

September 2011